Meatloaf in a Mug

We need meat (yes, that’s venison….don’t gag), oats, milk, ketchup, and onion soup mix. Meatloaf needs ketchup. NEEDS IT. Even a good meatloaf needs it….but a bad meatloaf surely needs it. I mean, it’s a vegetable after all…..or a fruit? Ketchup is a fruit! Thank you Lord!

Grab 4 of your mugs out of the cabinet. They need to be the normal sized ones, not the huge ginormous monsters that you drink out of and then have to run to the bathroom every 10 minutes. My brother-in-law gave me these mugs…..I don’t go to Starbucks. Dave Ramsey calls it “5-Bucks.” I’ll keep my $5 , thank you very much.

You need to spray the inside of the mugs with cooking spray. If you do this, the meatloaves will just fall out when they’re done……if you don’t do it, you’ll be eating out of the mug. That’s not such a bad thing, but your plate won’t be as pretty. I’m sorta obsessed with pretty plates. Yeah, I’m weird.

Grab your meatloaf mixing bowl. Yes, I have a bowl dedicated to mixing up meat. Why? Because it sorta makes me gag to think about mixing up my meatloaf and cookies in the same bowl. I realize it’s all in my head…..I live in my own world. You can visit any time. Dump all the ingredients in there. Notice this recipe does not call for egg. You won’t miss it.

Now, mix it all up with your hands. Yes, your hands. You can use a spoon if you’re a pansy…..or if you’re pregnant. Otherwise, use your hands. You can get a better mix that way. You don’t want to over-mix it or it will be tough. If you get tough meatloaf, grab the ketchup. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – ketchup covers a multitude of sins.

Divide the mixture evenly between 4 cups. Pat it down in there pretty good. Now, clean the meat out from under your fingernails because it feels really weird down in there.

Stick them in the microwave and nuke them for 3 minutes. The recipe is made for only one meatloaf, so I knew they wouldn’t be ready after 3 minutes.

Test the middle with a meat thermometer. See, it’s only at 120. Not done yet. We need it to be at least 160 degrees.

I stuck them back in the microwave for 2 minutes. I think total they went about 7-8 minutes. Time will depend on your microwave. My mom’s microwave thinks it’s from hell because it will burn the crap out of stuff before you blink. So, be careful…..and use your thermometer. If all else fails, grab the ketchup.

Done! If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you really should get one. I think they’re pretty inexpensive. This one was free at a food show, but I think they run about $5 or less.

Is this weird looking or what? Did you ever think you’d use your mug to microwave meat? I sure didn’t…….sorry Starbucks! It will plop right out of the mug and onto your plate when you turn it over. If it doesn’t, give it a little shake. If that doesn’t work, eat it out of the mug. If you use a higher fat content meat, you might need to drain them when they’re done. Venison is lean, so I didn’t need to do that. Come over to the venison side! You’re welcome here.Add ketchup. Thank you.

**Note: We no longer use a  microwave because of safety concerns. This is a personal family decision**